Betty Lou Keim
Encyclopedia
Betty Lou Keim was an actress with movie and television credits from 1949 to 1960.
as the daughter of a choreographer and a dancer, and she grew up in New York from the age of 5. She started getting dance lessons from her father at the age of 6 and later also took voice lessons. Her stage debut followed at age 7, under the direction of José Ferrer
in Strange Fruit. After several stage parts, she debuted on Broadway, and she became most remembered for playing a mean-spirited girl in the play A Roomful of Roses in 1956.
By this time, Keim had already acted on television, guest starring in numerous TV series. In 1953, she landed a co-starring role in the short-lived sitcom My Son Jeep
. Three years later, she made her film debut with a co-starring role alongside Barbara Stanwyck
in These Wilder Years
. The same year, she repeated her A Roomful of Roses role in its movie adaptation Teenage Rebel
, as Ginger Rogers
' daughter.
In 1957, she had a supporting role in 20th Century Fox
's, The Wayward Bus
, starring Jayne Mansfield
, Joan Collins
, and Dan Dailey
.
When not acting, Keim attended the Lodge Tutoring School. Her final acting experience was on The Deputy
, in which she starred as Fran McCord from 1959 to 1960.
(b. 1937). They had four children.
.
Early life and career
Keim was born in Malden, MassachusettsMalden, Massachusetts
Malden is a suburban city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 59,450 at the 2010 census. In 2009 Malden was ranked as the "Best Place to Raise Your Kids" in Massachusetts by Bloomberg Businessweek Magazine.-History:...
as the daughter of a choreographer and a dancer, and she grew up in New York from the age of 5. She started getting dance lessons from her father at the age of 6 and later also took voice lessons. Her stage debut followed at age 7, under the direction of José Ferrer
José Ferrer
José Vicente Ferrer de Otero y Cintrón , best known as José Ferrer, was a Puerto Rican actor, as well as a theater and film director...
in Strange Fruit. After several stage parts, she debuted on Broadway, and she became most remembered for playing a mean-spirited girl in the play A Roomful of Roses in 1956.
By this time, Keim had already acted on television, guest starring in numerous TV series. In 1953, she landed a co-starring role in the short-lived sitcom My Son Jeep
My Son Jeep
My Son Jeep is a short-lived American situation comedy originally broadcast on the NBC Radio and Television networks in 1953...
. Three years later, she made her film debut with a co-starring role alongside Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck
Barbara Stanwyck was an American actress. She was a film and television star, known during her 60-year career as a consummate and versatile professional with a strong screen presence, and a favorite of directors including Cecil B. DeMille, Fritz Lang and Frank Capra...
in These Wilder Years
These Wilder Years
These Wilder Years is a 1956 drama film directed by Roy Rowland, and starring James Cagney and Barbara Stanwyck. A businessman tries to find the illegitimate son he gave up to an orphanage many years ago.-Cast:*James Cagney as Steve Bradford...
. The same year, she repeated her A Roomful of Roses role in its movie adaptation Teenage Rebel
Teenage Rebel
Teenage Rebel is a 1956 drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Ginger Rogers. It was nominated for two Academy Awards; for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction Teenage Rebel is a 1956 drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and starring Ginger Rogers. It was nominated for two...
, as Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers
Ginger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
' daughter.
In 1957, she had a supporting role in 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
's, The Wayward Bus
The Wayward Bus (film)
The Wayward Bus is a 1957 drama film released by 20th Century Fox that starred Jayne Mansfield, Joan Collins, Dan Dailey and Rick Jason. The film was based on the novel of the same name by John Steinbeck.-Production background:...
, starring Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield
Jayne Mansfield was an American actress working both in Hollywood and on the Broadway theatre...
, Joan Collins
Joan Collins
Joan Henrietta Collins, OBE , is an English actress, author, and columnist. Born in Paddington and raised in Maida Vale, Collins grew up during the Second World War. At the age of nine, she made her stage debut in A Doll's House and after attending school, she was classically trained as an actress...
, and Dan Dailey
Dan Dailey
Daniel James Dailey Jr. was an American dancer and actor.-Early life and career:Born in New York City on December 14, 1915, to James J. and Helen Dailey, both born in New York City. He appeared in a minstrel show when very young, and appeared in vaudeville before his Broadway debut in 1937 in...
.
When not acting, Keim attended the Lodge Tutoring School. Her final acting experience was on The Deputy
The Deputy (TV series)
The Deputy is a 1959-1961 half-hour NBC western series featuring Henry Fonda as Chief Marshal Simon Fry of the Arizona Territory and Allen Case as Deputy Clay McCord, a storekeeper who tried to avoid using a gun.-Production:...
, in which she starred as Fran McCord from 1959 to 1960.
Personal life
She retired from acting after marrying actor Warren BerlingerWarren Berlinger
Warren Berlinger is an American character actor, with both Broadway runs and over a thousand television appearances to his credit.-Personal life:...
(b. 1937). They had four children.
Illness and death
Betty Lou Keim died at her home in Chatsworth, California, aged 71, from lung cancerLung cancer
Lung cancer is a disease characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung. If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung in a process called metastasis into nearby tissue and, eventually, into other parts of the body. Most cancers that start in lung, known as primary...
.